On Friday 24th of June 2016, Britain woke to the realisation
that the majority (52%) had voted to leave the EU. The shock waves that
followed have dominated the news. David Cameron has made the decision to step
down as Prime Minister and the pound is currently at a 31-year low, making
England poorer than France. The FTSE 100 has dropped 8.7pc and ratings agency
S&P have downgraded UK's credit rating from AAA to AA, due to the negative
outlook after the Brexit vote. Labour's shadow cabinet members are also
quitting in response to Jeremy Corbyn's leadership over the EU referendum!

Analyst are predicting that many investors are likely to
move their money out of the UK and for the people of Great Britain it may mean
that European travel and imported products could well rise in cost. In addition
Scotland has voted to remain and many of it’s population would sooner break
away from the UK instead of leaving the EU.

Britain as a whole is divided. For many the country is in
turmoil whilst other's celebrate the result as a victory for democracy.

Leading up to the vote, Sir Richard Branson commented that
Brexit would be ‘the worst decision Britain could ever make.’ Following the
result, on the 25th June, the IBT times
listed the reactions of many top business leaders, including that of Sir
Richard Branson, Jes Staley and Paul Polman, which you can read below. It
make's for very interesting reading.

Sir Richard Branson, founder, Virgin"None of this [leaving the EU] will happen overnight,
and the UK will face a multitude of complex negotiations and difficult choices
over the coming years. This decision will create volatility and will threaten
much of the good work delivered by the EU over the last 40 years. Nevertheless,
we must all accept and respect the majority vote."

Jes Staley, chief executive at Barclays"This is a significant decision and there will be many
questions asked in the coming days and weeks about what happens next. The
answers are complex but our position is not - we will not break our stride in
delivering the Barclays of the future."

"We have stood in service of our customers and clients
for over 325 years. We have been here for them through equally profound changes
before. And no matter what has been laid before us, we have been here to help
them achieve their ambitions.

Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive, WPP"I am very disappointed, but the electorate has spoken.
The resulting uncertainty, which will be considerable, will obviously slow
decision-making and deter activity. This is not good news, to say the least.

Paul Polman, chief executive, Unilever"The most important thing to have long term prosperity
is to accept the will of the people and respect democracy. Now we all need to
unite."

Sebastian James, chief executive, Dixons Carphone"Feel strange and unsettling following the vote but we
are the same, our company is the same, and our job is the same."

Ian Shepherd, chief commercial officer, Odeon & UCI
Cinemas"Genuinely can't believe it. Have spent the week with
colleagues from around the world who were rooting for the UK to come to its
senses."

Carolyn McCall, chief executive, easyJet"We remain confident in the strength of easyJet's
business model and our ability to continue to deliver our successful strategy
and our leading returns."

"We have today written to the UK government and the
European commission to ask them to prioritise the UK remaining part of the
single EU aviation market, given its importance"

Douglas Flint, group chairman, HSBC"We are today entering a new era for Britain and
British business. The work to establish fresh terms of trade with our European
and global partners will be complex and time-consuming. We will be working
tirelessly in the coming weeks and months to help our customers adjust to and
prepare for the new environment."

Gareth Stace, director of UK Steel"The decision to leave the European Union will send
shockwaves across the UK's steel industry. Our sector is well versed in having
challenges thrust upon it, but it's clear that this is like no other.

It is now more essential than ever to create the right
business conditions in the UK that allow the steel industry to survive, invest
and thrive. This will ensure that our vital supply chains, such as defence,
automotive and construction, can rely on the production of steel in the UK so
we are self-sufficient and can never be left at the mercy of others."

Lloyd Blankfein, chairman and chief executive, Goldman Sachs"We respect the decision of the British electorate and
have been focused on planning for either referendum outcome for many months.

"Goldman Sachs has a long history of adapting to
change, and we will work with relevant authorities as the terms of the exit
become clear. Our primary focus, as always, remains serving our clients'
needs."

Anthony Bamford, chairman and managing director, JCB"European markets are important to many UK businesses,
including JCB, and this will not change. We should look ahead to opportunities
to trade more freely with the rest of the world, as well as building on
existing trading relationships with customers and suppliers in Europe… The UK
is the world's fifth largest trading nation. We therefore have little to fear
from leaving the EU."

Originally published on Monday, 27th June 2016 at: Views on Design by Todd Anderson.